Two factors determine the level to which the Board of
Regents becomes directly and formally involved in the process of approving or
denying the development, implementation, suspension, and/or elimination of
academic and research programs: (1) the
degree to which the proposed program "fits" with an institution's
approved mission, and (2) the
relationship between (a) the resources
needed, (b) the resources available to
implement and sustain the program fully, and
(c) the projected benefit of the program to the socio-economic welfare
of the State and its citizens. Two levels define these factors:

Level I Proposals (Approved by the Commissioner of Higher
Education or Designee)

Level I Proposals are those that may be approved by the
Commissioner of Higher Education or his designee. The approval of such proposals will be conveyed to the Academic
and Student Affairs Committee of the Board of Regents at the next regular
meeting of the board. The institution
must file the request with the Office of the Commissioner of Higher Education
by means of a memo to the Deputy Commissioner

Level I proposals include campus initiatives typically
characterized by (a) minimal costs; (b)
clear adherence to approved campus mission; and (c) the absence of significant
programmatic impact on other institutions within the Montana University System
and community colleges. Examples include:

Further, with Level II documentation
circulated to all campus chief academic officers in advance, the Commissioner
or designee may propose additional items for inclusion in the Level I process.
For these items to move forward, the Commissioner or designee must reach
consensus with the chief academic officers. When consensus is not achieved, the
Commissioner or designee will move the item to the Level II review process.

Examples of Level I proposals of this
type include:

1.new minors, options, and certificates
within an existing major or degree;

2.eliminating organizational units
within larger institutions such as departments, divisions and colleges or
schools with the exception of the
five Colleges of Technology where changes require Board action;

3.consolidating existing programs and/or
degrees.

Certificate or Associate of Applied Science Degree Programs
may be submitted as Level I proposals, with memo and backup documentation, when
they are offered in cooperation with and/or at the request of private or public
sector partners and the decision point to offer the program is not consistent
with the regular Board of Regents program approval process. Level I approval
for programs under this provision will be limited to two years. Continuation of a program beyond the two
years will require the normal program approval process as Level II
Proposals. All other Certificate or
Associate Degree programs may be placed on submission at any Board of Regents
meeting. They will be placed on action agendas at subsequent meetings. All campuses agree to insure that all other
campuses receive program information well in advance of submission. (Item
92-001-R0796)

Level
II Proposals (Approved by the Board of Regents)

Level II proposals require approval by the Board of
Regents. These proposals entail more
substantive additions to, alterations in, or termination of programs,
structures, or administrative or academic entities typically characterized by
the (a) addition, reassignment, or
elimination of personnel, facilities, or courses of instruction; (b)
rearrangement of budgets, cost centers, funding sources; and (c) changes which
by implication could impact other campuses within the Montana University System
and community colleges. Board policy
303.1 indicates the curricular proposals in this category:

1.Change
names of degrees (e.g. from B.A. to
B.F.A.)

2.Implement
a new minor where there is no major;

3.Establish new degrees and add majors to existing degrees;

4.Expand/extend
approved mission; and

5.Any other changes in governance and organization as
described in Board of Regents’ Policy 218, such as formation, elimination or
consolidation of a college, division, school, department, institute, bureau,
center, station, laboratory, or similar unit.